First Drive: Dodge Super8 Hemi Concept

The reverse-angle A-post gives the Super8 much of its visual pop. Front and rear seats are wide, sweeping benches that seem to float above the floor but are actually anchored at their ends. These, along with the absent B-posts, enhance the beast's projection of spaciousness.

The Mopar's ponies and 395 lb-ft of torque are routed through a four-speed automatic (45RFE) borrowed from a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The trans housing is stock, but the shift software was changed slightly to accommodate the push-button gear-selector. The driveshaft is a custom piece feeding a Mercedes-Benz S-Class rear differential and an independent rear suspension's halfshafts. The Super8's guesstimated top speed with this powertrain is 154 mph with a less than 6.0-sec trip to 60 mph. In front, the suspension is a modified MacPherson-strut type with billet-aluminum control arms. Out back is a custom-built five-link coil-over-shock independent suspension setup. Out in front, huge cross-drilled and slotted rotors are squeezed by Wilwood four-piston calipers while the rear rotors are pressed with more-than-adequate dual piston calipers. "The car has way more brake than it needs," said a smiling Rundels. "But it just has wonderful aesthetic appeal."

In order to inject some substance into this examination of the Super8, we sat down with Rich Schaum, DaimlerChrysler executive vice president of product development. He carefully turned over each word and joked about wanting to avoid making any product announcements ahead of his bosses-bummer! But he finally confirmed the production plan for the all-new Hemi V-8 and held out real hope for a line of affordable midsize rear-drive sedans."Anybody can do an all-aluminum DOHC state-of-the-art high-specific-output V-6 engine and it'll be costly," Schaum explained. "But why can't I have a hemispherical-combustion-chamber high-technology V-8? What would happen if we applied all the latest technology to a central-cam [OHV] engine. If we give higher value at lower cost to our customer, what's wrong with that solution? The Vortec V-8 at GM is a perfect example. There's no doubt we're doing the Hemi." Told ya; you heard it here first.What about a rear-drive sedan like the Super8? "I think many of the people in the industry are changing their opinion about rear-wheel drive," he said. "[Today's] tires are far superior in terms of their all-season performance. Combine that with traction-control and stability-control systems. Those wonderful technologies really begin to close the gap between rear-wheel and front-wheel drive as far as foul-weather traction. It's clearly coming back." Summarized Schaum: "We have concluded that, yes, there is a way to make [rear-wheel drive] work for a $35,000 to $40,000 vehicle, although nothing's approved. And I really want to make it work because it gives us a proportion that we can't achieve otherwise."Whether or not you like the Super8 Hemi as a design exercise is of little importance. What is important is the prospects it represents: Chrysler's potential development of a flexible, cost-effective rear-drive platform-and all the performance-oriented cars and trucks that could be built on it. Plus the imminent return of a real, live, Hemi V-8. And ya gotta love that.